Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
6th Dec 2012

Descriptions of education systems in 60 countries

Nuffic – the Netherlands organisation for international cooperation in higher education – regularly releases country modules, which offer information on the education systems of about 60 countries. Apart from a description of how education is organised in a specific country, the modules provide information about the main qualifications issued in the country, as well as how these qualifications are evaluated overseas. Each country module covers primary, secondary, and vocational schools as well as higher education. Recruiters and admission officers of institutions may find them to be a useful resource when assessing the level of foreign students applying for a programme at their institution. The country modules are also beneficial for anyone who seeks detailed information on a specific country’s education system or grading system, or examples of diplomas. Understanding the education and grading system is also useful for students who are thinking about studying abroad. Prospective students can read in detail how education is organised overseas and they can get a first impression of what their diplomas are worth. The country modules are available in English (and Dutch) and are freely accessible. They are updated regularly, with five new modules added each year. At present, the following are online: Albania, Aruba, Austria, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, China, Croatia, Curaçao, St. Martin and BES islands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, International Baccalaureate, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam. Please see the Nuffic website for all available country modules.  

Most Recent

  • The link between international student tuition and global competitiveness Read More
  • Global agent survey highlights the most important factors influencing study abroad decisions Read More
  • The ChatGPT Generation: How AI Is quietly rewriting the global student search experience Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

The link between international student tuition and global competitiveness As reported in The Guardian last week, Professor Shitij Kapur, vice-chancellor of King’s College London, draws a line...
Read more
Foreign enrolments in UK higher education dipped again in fall 2025 The early data points to a second year of declining international enrolments in the United Kingdom for 2025/26....
Read more
US extends travel ban, Nigeria now included on “restricted” list The Trump administration has announced an expanded list of countries whose nationals – including students applying for F,...
Read more
Search and enrolment data foreshadows international enrolment trends for 2026 The following is a guest post contributed by Keystone Education Group. Keystone Education Group’s 2025 data reveals a...
Read more
The number of Indian students abroad fell in 2025 More than 1.2 million Indian students were enrolled in higher education abroad in 2025 – a hefty number,...
Read more
Global higher education enrolments expected to grow through 2035, but new challenges must be addressed Times Higher Education’s new report, Towards 2035: Projecting the Future of Global Higher Education, predicts that university-level enrolments...
Read more
Canada: A case study of immigration policy impacts on postsecondary institutions and the wider economy In January 2026, Canadian higher education institutions will enter the third consecutive year of caps on new international...
Read more
UK: Rule changes could be coming for Master of Research programmes If there is a lesson that international education stakeholders in the Big Four have learned in the past...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links